One of the three people in Erie County who now has a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus reached out to Erie News Now to share his experience.

We are keeping his identity confidential, but he told us by phone Sunday afternoon he had known contact with one of the other two people who have tested positive.

He said it wasn't easy to hear the news that he tested positive.

"My heart was beating fast," he said. "[I] kind of just wanted to think of my family members and friends I’ve been around."

The young man is quarantined at home and said his symptoms are mild. He indicated that his only symptom so far is a mild cough. Although he was made aware he had possible exposure, he was still surprised to learn that he has COVID-19.

"I’m very, very shocked," he said. "I’m perfectly fine. I’d go about my day, if I could, I would. I’m completely fine 100%."

For now, he is following orders to stay home.

"I’m staying quarantined," he said. "I’m staying home since I’ve been told and have not went anywhere. I’ve had a lot of family members just dropping things off outside the door and just kind of grabbing it when it comes."

He sought testing at one of the local hospitals Friday and learned of the positive results late Saturday night. County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper announced the third case during a news conference on Sunday afternoon.

He described what he needed to provide during testing.

"Just your personal information," he said. "Other than that they take you into a quarantine room, they do a nose swab in each nostril, and other than that, it’s not the best thing in the world, but it’s not terrible."

Each of the Erie County cases identified so far is a person in their 20s or 30s. The man who spoke with us said that makes it clear young people should take social distancing seriously and to understand the reasons for the Governor's orders to stay home from non-essential work.

"I personally think it's a good idea," he said. "Stay home. Take the two weeks or 15 days, recoup and regather make sure everybody’s healthy going back to work."

He said the orders make sense to prevent the spread.

"Instead of other businesses staying open who have thousand of employees, rather than get a quarter of those people sick and spreading something like this that people don’t even know they’re carrying, I think it’s a good idea for them to just take the time off and kind of proceed after," he said.